Rudolph the THREAD Nosed Reindeer

You know Dasher and Dancer, and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid, and Donner and Blitzen.
But do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all? It’s Rudolph, the THREAD-nosed reindeer!

I made this fun Christmas decoration the other day and I’ve been dying to share it ever since. This is a decorative embroidery I made using custom PAINT BY NUMBER FABRIC. The fabric was custom made using vintage paint by number artwork, which I then placed in a faux-bois embroidery hoop. The snowflake and Red-Nose embroidery was hand-applied and the whole piece is finished in the back to make the artwork more durable and to prevent any threads from coming loose.

The perfect addition to any Christmas decor. Just the right amount of Christmas and Kitsch to really make a place. A fun take on paint by number in a more manageable size. This is a Pink Toe Press EXCLUSIVE. You won’t find this anywhere other than the Pink Toe Press Etsy shop.

Rudolph, ready for his close-up.

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The Incredible Pink Toe Press Color Puzzle Cube

Pink Toe? Pink Toe-n? Pink Tone!

What a handsome Puzzle Cube.

Graphic Designers rejoice! Pink Toe Press now has the Amazing and Incredible “Pink Tone” Pink Toe Press Color Puzzle Cube! A fun take on the traditional puzzle cube, this Pink Toe Press Color Puzzle Cube has dozens of unique color swatches on each square of the puzzle. Twist and turn the puzzle to create custom color combinations. Use the puzzle cube as a puzzle OR as a custom color swatch generator. Perfect for the Puzzle-Lovers and/or Graphic Designers in your life. 

Get two and keep one for yourself! They make great desk decorations too!

Each Incredible “Pink Tone” Pink Toe Press Color Puzzle Cube Is hand-adorned with custom color swatch stickers. Each color was created and named by Yours Truly. While inspired by popular paint chips, these colors do not correspond to any paints, dyes, or existing colors available on the market. Each color was custom made by me for these Puzzle Cubes (Some colors are available as buttons in the Pink Toe Press Etsy Shop). Each color was printed onto a sticker which was hand-placed on each square of each cube. Puzzle cube bases come pre-assembled and are made from a hard plastic.

Tired of having your nose stuck in a book (ouch!)? Sick of playing games with angry avifauna? The Incredible “Pink Tone” Pink Toe Press Color Puzzle Cube is your solution. Small enough to toss into a book-bag or carry-on bag, this fun activity requires no batteries, no headphones, and you don’t need a 20-page rule book to play. Just twist and turn and have fun!

It will be hard to put the iPhone down, but it will be worth it!

Whether you are a designer, a puzzle lover, a painter, or someone who is looking for a GREAT gift this Holiday Season, the Pink Toe Press Color Puzzle Cube is the thing for you. The possibilities are endless for these little cubes. Stop by the Pink Toe Press Etsy Shop to grab yours today!

Color customization in action.

Twisting the cube horizontally gives you great color combinations.

How to make your own DIY Hylian Shield Tutorial PART THREE

This is Step Three of Three in a tutorial to make your own Hylian Shield from the Legend of Zelda series. If you would like to start at the beginning, please follow this link to PART ONE.

If you recall, we just finished adding all the hardware and detailing to the shield. A lot of the detail we added has a functional purpose too. Now it is time to add the finishing touches to really make this Hylian Shield look fit for the Hero of Hyrule!

Step 9A: Painting the shield. Now this is where everything comes together. You CAN prime the shield first, but as I am impatient and since the foam-core I was using is white, I decided to bypass that step. Get yourRust-oleum “Hammered” silver spray paint and go to a well ventilated area (outside). I chose to spray the back of the shield first, just incase anything happened.

 Looks pretty good to me!

I had no issues with the paint. I was mindful not to get much paint close to the edges of the foam-core as it has a tendency to eat through styrofoam. I had very little corrosion on this project, but please bear that in mind. The only place were a little touch-up was needed was underneath the wooden buttons. For this, I used my Martha Stewart’s High Gloss Acrylic Paints  in SILVER.

You (almost) can’t see the little crescent of silver paint.

I know it is hard, but you WILL want to wait at least a few hours between coats of paint. I let mine dry overnight before painting the front of the shield. The Hammered spray paints seem to take a little extra time to dry without becoming tacky. But once the back of the shield is dry, take it outside to add a coat of silver to the front of the shield. This looks awesome when painted.

Maybe I’ll just leave it like this… 

If you notice any spots on the front of the shield that need a touch-up. As we will be painting most of the interior of the shield a different color anyway, you may not need to do any touch-up work with the silver paint at all. I would double check near the wooden buttons and the edges. This may be a good time to use your SILVER ACRYLIC paint to do a coat around the edges. Allow all paint to dry.

Step 9B: Painting the shield with Acrylics is the last big step. The High Gloss colors I used on the shield were: Habanero, Beetle Black, and Indigo. The Metallic colors I used were: Gold, Yellow Gold, and Sterling (silver). I chose to start with the blue part of the shield.

Use a fine detailing brush to get in those tough corners.

You may need to do several coats in some places. I found the blue did not cover the silver completely in certain areas. Once the blue paint has dried completely, move on to red and then gold. If you are using the same brushes, be sure to thoroughly clean them between colors.

Before the detailing on the silver areas.

For the back of the shield and for the silver detailing on the front, I mixed the silver paint with a little bit of black paint to make a dark silver color.

After. Doesn’t it look better?

This is an optional step, but I found it really added depth to the shield. You really only need a little bit for the front, but I would suggest making a couple Tablespoons worth of dark silver for the back of the shield. I used a 1-inch brush to apply the dark silver paint to the recessed area on the back of the shield. While waiting for the paint to dry, go fetch your fabric/felt and embroidery thread. Also grab some scrap pieces of foam-core and some more brads.

Step 10: Adding the finishing touches. Now that the painting is done, there is little left for us to do. The finishing touches include adding a strap to the back of the shield to keep it close to your arm, and minimal detailing on the handle. Let’s start with the arm strap!

For the arm strap you will need a long piece of felt. Mine was about 8.5 inches by 2 inches. If your arm is bigger or smaller, you may need to adjust the size. You will also need to cut two pieces of foam-core from your scraps. These pieces will be used to secure the strap to the shield.

Glue the foam-core and felt together with the foam-core on top. Take the furniture nail/tack and push it through the foam-core and into the fabric close to the base of the scallop shape. The tack should have enough room left to be pressed into the back of the shield. Do this for the other side of the strap. Take both ends and press into the shield approximately 5 inches apart. Note where the tack makes a mark and apply glue to that area. Glue both ends and apply pressure (lay a book on top) and let dry. Once dry, take a brad (they are longer than the tacks) to opposite ends of the piece of foam-core and press into the shield. This will add extra strength to the strap. Allow to dry completely before use.

The arm strap and the handle being finished.

While you are waiting on the straps to dry, take your two embroidery flosses. Wrap them around the handle and cover the center of the handle completely (see above photograph). Overlap slightly and use glue to secure the loose ends.

You can see how the detailing really makes the shield come to life!

Step 11: Take a step back and admire your handiwork!!! 

That’s it! You’re FINISHED!

How to make your own DIY Hylian Shield Tutorial PART TWO

This is Part Two of Three in a tutorial to make your own Hylian Shield from the Legend of Zelda series. If you would like to start at the beginning, please follow this link to PART ONE.

We last left off at Step 4 after having cut out the front and back shield pieces. I hope you have gathered your hardware and tools to add some of the important details to the shield! Let’s start with the front of the shield and work out way to the back.

The chipboard pentagon in place. To the right you can see some of my hardware.

Step 5: Gather your hardware and your Chipboard or corrugated cardboard. For my shield, I used chipboard from the back of a  nearly empty sketchbook. You could also use a full sheet of matting material for framing, or even a cereal box. The chipboard is the perfect thickness but is HARD to cut. So make sure you have some spare X-Acto blades handy and a good pair of scissors at the ready.

We’ll use the Chipboard for the pentagon at the top of the shield as well as the interior shield design with the bird and Triforce. This will add dimension to the shield without making it the same depth as the outside boarder. I used my template from earlier to cut out the design for the interior of the shield. Trace those pieces onto the chipboard and get cutting. It will take a few passes with an X-Acto blade to get the pieces all the way cut. Once cut, place all the pieces on the front of the shield in the way you want to glue them down. Use beads of glue to cover the back of each piece and press it down. Allow ample time for drying.

Leave the right wing of the bird unglued for now. We will be placing screws for the handle through that side of the shield.

Make sure you use enough glue. You don’t want the pieces to come off!

Step 6: Detailing the back of the shield is a little less tedious than the front. For the wooden buttons, you will want to gather 3 small screws that will pass through 2 layers of foam-core and still have about 1/2 cm of thread sticking through. Prep both pieces that make up the back of the shield. Cut small slits with your blade in each of the three corners where you will be securing a wooden button. Then push/screw the small screw so that the head is on the BACK of the shield and the thread end is sticking out the front. Carefully screw the thread of the screw into the wooden button, securing it to the shield. This is a little tricky at first, but you will find it easier after the second one. I also put a little glue on the underside of the wooden button as I was screwing it into the foam-core for added strength.

Now glue, glue, glue! When the first wooden button was in place, I used the screw as a hinge and opened up the BACK of the shield. I then put a generous amount of glue on the back of the cross-shaped piece.

Be generous with the glue. You’d hate for the pieces to come apart in battle.

Align the two pieces and press together gently. Set aside to dry.

Wooden buttons screwed in place. Other hardware staged.

Once the wooden buttons are secured, it is time to add the brads to the vertical beam on the back. As with the screws, make a small slit with your blade where you would like them to go. Carefully push the brads straight down (they bend easily). Put a little glue on the bottom of the brad for extra strength. These will pass through both layers of foam-core and have a little bit sticking out the back. This is okay as this will help secure the front and the back pieces of the shield.

Set aside the BACK half of the shield and add the 3 wooden buttons to the FRONT half of the shield. Use the same method you did for the other wooden buttons AND for gluing the two front halves together. Once the wooden buttons are secured and dry, it will be time to move on to the handle.

Step 7: Adding the handle.

Once the brads and wooden buttons are in place, it is time to move on to the handle. I made my shield RIGHT HANDED. If you would rather use your shield with your left hand, just slide the handle over to the other side of the shield. Wherever you are putting the handle, make sure to measure carefully to ensure it is straight up and down. To properly secure the handle, you will need to work with both the front AND the back of the shield.

This is the last time you will see them apart!

Make holes on the back of the shield where you will be inserting the screws. Turn the screws around and push them from the back. Mark where they land on the backside of the FRONT half of the shield. This is where you will be screwing them from. Remember where I told you not to secure the right wing of the bird? That is because we will be inserting the screw through there and we will use the wing to cover one of the screws when everything is secured.

Measure carefully!

Lookin good!

Following the manufactures instructions, secure the handle. For my handle, I begin with the head of the screw on the FRONT of the shield, with the thread passing through to the back and into the handle. Add glue between the two halves before completely screwing them together. Secure tightly. FYI: mine came with two sets of screws, but I thought that one set of screws would be strong enough. It seems secure with just the single set.

Step 8: Finish the front of the shield by gluing the right wing of the bird over the screws for the handle. Once the bird motif is finished, you will want to start adding more brads to the front.

Laying down the last piece of the bird motif.

These add a nice amount of detail to the shield as well as more contact points to secure all parts together. By adding more brads around the perimeter of the front and back of the shield, we are making it stronger and less likely to pull apart with use. There is no right way to do this…just make sure it looks symmetrical on each side. Also be sure that you stagger them from the front and back so that there are not two brads pushing into each other.

There is no “right” way to put the perimeter brads down.

Once the shield is secured with brads and glue, make sure that there are no parts that seem loose or out of place. If anything seems loose, add a little extra glue (or whatever you need to do to fix the problem). This will be the last time you will be able to make any major changes without it being difficult. The next step after this is PAINTING! We are almost done!

Click here to continue on to PART THREE.

Something Old, Something NEW

I’m creating in HIGH GEAR for the Renegade Craft Fair this next month. I’ve been making lots of new things and new versions of old favorites. Here is a selection of some of the pieces and products I will be selling at the Fair!

Some of the artwork that will be available at the Renegade Craft Fair LOS ANGELES:

Everything shown is made by Page Redford and is made in Burbank, CA.

From Top to Bottom:

Vinyl Letters: Hand painted letters on old vinyl records!

Paper Pendants: Necklaces made from paper!

Pin-Back Buttons: Assorted designs including retro, original artwork, patterns, vintage ads, and more! Available individually or in 2-packs or 4-packs!

Embroidery: Assorted designs and sizes. All awesome and HAND SEWN!

Postcards:  Assorted designs, available in individual or multi-packs

Greeting Cards: Assorted designs, sold with envelope in a clear pack.

And now for my NEWEST products, the ButTONES!

Pin-back buttons inspired by the Pantone paint chips. Fun colors with fun names that you can match to your wardrobe or favorite bag. Various colors…I’m rocking the “Dolphin Orange” as I type! Soon to be available in my ETSY SHOP and at PINKTOEPRESS (dot) COM as buttons and soon to be made in to magnets for your fridge or locker (or car!). They will also be available at the Renegade Craft Fair. :-)

Newest Greeting Card Design

A sneak peek of my newest greeting card designs! I’ve got more in the works but this is the first design that is completed. Hand-cut lettering on recycled, acid-free card stock with colored card stock insert. The perfect card for your David Bowie loving girlfriend (or boyfriend)! Awesome!

Find More information available at Pink Toe Press’ Facebook Page about some of my new projects! NOW available at Rocket Fizz and in my Etsy Shop!

Retro Aprons with Quilted Detail

Here is  a sneak peek of my newest aprons! They are a similar design as my Retro Fruits and Veggies Apron that I made around the holidays.

The perfect color combination: salmony pink, mint!

I am in love with the fabrics for this apron… the little woodland creatures are a delight. I’ve named this apron “Pink Woodlands” because of that fabric. It has a lot of quilted detailing from the bib to the waistband to the neck-ties. A lot of detail, love, and time went in to creating this apron!

Cute hedgehogs, squirrels, and mushroom adorn this cute apron!

The second one that I’ve been working on is this cute apron with a summery strawberry print. This apron is called “Strawberry Fields” and would be a great hostess gift, housewarming gift, or gift for a bride-to-be.  Wait until you see the rest of the apron…what a great color combination!

Makes me want to go strawberry picking!

Like the Pink Woodlands apron, Strawberry Fields is made using cotton fabrics and has beautiful quilted detailing in the bib and the straps!

Isnt that Ric-Rac amazing!?

Recipe Box

This Christmas I decided to make most of the gifts I gave to my family and friends. I have tried this a few years ago, but I ended up getting too caught up with work and traveling to make that possible. This year, however, I was successful in making a number of gifts for people. For my brother I made a T-Shirt Quilt of many of his old shirts from when he was young.

My sister’s gifts were a little more complicated. She will soon be living on her own after college, and I thought it would be nice to give her an apron and recipe box to take with her to her new apartment. I love cooking (and making art!) and I thought this could be a fun addition to her kitchen, especially since she isn’t the most seasoned chef. I have a very good friend who is a wonderful chef, and I decided to make her a recipe box as well. The first recipe box fit cards that measured 6.25 x 4 inches, and the second box’s cards were 7 x 3 inches.

The recipe box made for my younger sister

The box is a wooden box from an antique store in my hometown. The word “Recipe” was hand painted on each box by yours truly! The cards were designed digitally and printed on cardstock. When I print more cards, I will likely make the cards double sided and print them on a heavy-weight cardstock. These are nice, but double sided would be better and easier for writing long recipes.

The recipe box I made for my best friend

This second box was for my good friend. The boxes were not the same shape or size (this one was wider, but not as tall as the other one) so I had to design two sets of cards and two sets of dividers. The overall designs are similar, but the layout of the cards are different.

The box is ready to be used! I included some of my favorite recipes in the box to help get her started.

The dividers are for general types of foods: appetizers, salads and soups, main course, desserts, etc. I also included some blank dividers to leave room for other interests. The recipe cards themselves have assorted designs, but they can be separated in to the different food types, ie: all the chevron-patterned cards could be for salads, whereas the design with fruits and jam jars could be for desserts.

All wrapped up and ready to be gifted!

Each box came with 20 recipe cards and 8 dividers. Keep your eyes open for these for sale in my Etsy Shop! I am still sourcing antique/vintage boxes to make in to new recipe boxes.

Your Love’s Put Me at the Top of the World

A hand painted design on a small globe.

This Christmas I decided to make a gift for my Honey. He generally gets the things he needs (new clothes, new games, etc.) when he needs them, so sometimes it can be hard to find the right gift in the stores. I really love old maps and globes especially, and when I found this little globe, I just knew I had to have it. I was a little disappointed in the size of this globe at first (it’s pretty small), but now that I see it on his desk, I know it was just the right size!

The lettering was designed and hand painted by me.

The words are from the Carpenters’ song “Top of the World”.

Terrarium

I noticed that this little guy was shown in one of my earlier posts, but I hadn’t shared him with y’all yet. So here you go!

This is Terrarium that I made not too long ago. It is made with eco-Felt, wool felt balls, embroidery thread, ribbon, cotton gingham, and some acrylic paint. The jar is a recycled/up-cycled jar with tiny handles on the sides. It’s a really lovely piece that is actually for sale at the Handmade Galleries in LA.  This is one of my favorite terrariums to date. It’s nice and big and is quite lovely. Each flower (felt ball) is hand embroidered with painstaking detail and is nestled amongst leaves of grass. There are three unique flowers inside the terrarium as well as one small flower on the outside of the terrarium (on the bow). Green grass is even painted on the bottom of the jar to give it even more dimension.

I hope you like this piece as much as I do.